Islamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The Effect of Task-Based Activities on Iranian Beginner EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension122532360ENAli Asghar NoshadDepartment of English Language
Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch
Shiraz, IranMostafa ZamanianDepartment of English Language
Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch
Shiraz, IranJournal Article20161025The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of applying task-based activities on students’ listening comprehension improvement. It also aimed at providing evidence to show how shifting from a traditional language teaching approach into the TBLT approach can positively affect the process of learning listening skill. To do this, 80 participants were selected from three English language institutes in Shiraz. Participants of the study were chosen by assigning a placement test and they were divided into two groups. In the experimental group, the participants were taught listening skills based on the tenets of task-based teaching while the participants in the control group were taught listening skills traditionally. This process continued for 20 sessions. A pre-test and post-test were administered. One-way ANOVA, correlation and <em>t-</em>test analyses were used to determine whether differences between the sample means were statistically significant or not. It was found that the students of the experimental group, who experienced task-based principles of teaching listening, performed remarkably better than those of the control group on the final listening post-test. And it was concluded that there was a statistically significant difference between the effects of tasked-based activities and traditional activities on Iranian beginner EFL learner’s listening comprehension.
Task
task-based language teaching
task-based activities
listening comprehension
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532360_6fd3e107b4f33bb8a2f9d9257ca71fe6.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The Relationship between Frequency of Oral Corrective Feedback and Identity Processing Style among Iranian EFL Teachers2345532361ENEmad OmidpourDepartment of Foreign Languages M.A. in TEFL Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch
Shiraz, IranMohammad BavaliDepartment of Foreign Languages
Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch
Shiraz, IranJournal Article20161225is believed that identity has great[s1] impact on almost every aspect of human psychological and social growth. Oral corrective feedback, on the other hand, is found to have a profound influence on learning. In this regard, this study attempted to examine any probable relationship between identity processing styles and the frequency of oral corrective feedback techniques. The participants included eight male Iranian EFL teachers. To identify participants’ choice of oral corrective strategies and their frequencies, their intermediate classes were observed for four sessions. To arrive at participants’ identity processing styles, Informational, Normative, and Diffuse-Avoidant, the identity style inventory (ISI-5) by Berzonsky was employed. Since all participants obtained highest score for the Informational style, they were grouped based on their second highest score.The findings underline that there is a positive relationship between Normative identity processing style and frequency of oral corrective feedback techniques used by the teachers. Normative styles were found to be more likely to use oral corrective feedback techniques more frequently. Those with higher Diffuse-Avoidant style score seemed to use a limited number and fewer types of oral corrective feedback techniques. With respect to the results, this study offers the use of identity surveys in EFL educational systems in order to help language institutions approach problems regarding teachers’ performance in the field of oral corrective feedback in a more precise and personalized way which matches each teacher’s needs.
[s1]
Corrective feedback
Identity processing style
Foreign language learning
Feedbacks frequency
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532361_396c66d49e10edca0438b0faf2abcd1e.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501Effects of Closed-caption Programs on EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension and Vocabulary Learning4770532362ENGholam Hossein ShahsavandiIslamic Azad University, Shiraz, IranJournal Article20170113This study aimed at investigating the impact of closed-caption program on listening comprehension of English movies and vocabulary learning. Sixty-four graduate students studying at Shiraz Islamic Azad University were selected as the participants of the study. The participants were divided into two groups: experimental group (with closed caption program) and control group (without closed caption program). A BBC documentary movie (EARTH PLANET), was selected based on the content and level of difficulty of the language (matched to level of proficiency of the participants (advanced level)). Both classes watched the movie, but class one with closed-caption and the other one without closed-caption. Two researcher-designed tests (one listening comprehension test and one vocabulary test) were employed as the instruments. To ensure the reliability of the tests, the researcher conducted a pilot study. The results of the Guttmann reliability indicated that the tests were highly reliable. The participants answered the relevant multiple-choice vocabulary and listening comprehension questions. The results of independent sample <em>t</em>-test analysis clearly indicated that closed-caption program had a positive impact on participants’ listening comprehension. It can be said that the participants of the experimental group comprehended the movie better than the participants of the experimental group. However, closed-caption program did not have an effect on participants' vocabulary learning or vocabulary recognition and there wasn’t any difference between the performance of male and female participants of the experimental group in listening comprehension and vocabulary learning tests.
English movies
closed-caption program
listening comprehension
vocabulary learning
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532362_bf379d3c4118d2b64151fbdd0e0d9cb0.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The Effect of Visually-Mediated Collocations on the Elementary EFL Learners’ Vocabulary Learning7188532363ENAbbas KasraianDepartment of English Languages
Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch
Shiraz, IranBahram PakfetratDepartment of English Languages
Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch
Shiraz, IranJournal Article20160601When vocabulary teaching is taken into account in EFL classes in our Iranian state primary schools, teachers generally prefer to use classical techniques. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of visually-mediated collocations on the elementary EFL learners’ vocabulary learning. In order to conduct this study, 60 students from two classrooms in an elementary class, participated in this study. The experimental group was taught new words using collocation techniques; the control group was taught new words using classical techniques such as synonym, antonym, definition and mother tongue translation. Both groups were given the same pre-test at the beginning of the term and after the classroom treatment, including 8 sessions of teaching English vocabulary through collocations, all the participants were given the same multiple- choice tests as a summative evaluation. The statistical finding in the pre-test revealed that the participants' performance had almost the equal mean score, while the performances of both groups in the post-test were significantly different. The result of the study indicated that the group receiving the method of teaching collocations had better performance in vocabulary test than teaching them using classical techniques. Teaching vocabulary through collocations can be effective factors in helping students remember the new words. Therefore, teachers of English could be encouraged to attach more importance to vocabulary teaching rather than the acquisition of grammar and the use of current vocabulary teaching strategies in their classes.
New Vocabulary Learning
Vocabulary Flash Card
visually-mediated Collocations
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532363_af8c61a842311cdfc336ad0f3355fd6e.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The effect of Code switching on the Acquisition of Object Relative Clauses by Iranian EFL Learners89112532364ENNesa NabifarDepartment of English, College of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Tabriz Branch,Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, IranMitra KhalilzadDepartment of English,, College of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages, Tabriz Branch,Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, IranJournal Article20161116This study attempted to investigate the impact of teacher’s code-switching on the acquisition of a problematic grammatical structure, namely, object relative clauses, by intermediate EFL learners. Moreover, a secondary objective of the study was to determine the EFL learners’ attitudes and opinions regarding the effectiveness of teacher’s code-switching in their learning of a specific aspect of English grammar, object relative clauses. To meet this end, 54 EFL learners from the JameaLangsuage Institute in Tabriz were selected and took part in grammar and attitudes pre-tests and underwent the necessary instructions. Whereas in the experimental group, explicit grammar instruction was used along with the teacher’s code-switching, in the control group, explicit grammar instruction was given only in English which was the medium of instruction.Finally questionnaire and post-tests were administered. Two ANCOVAs were run on the collected data not only to compare the performance of both experimental and control groups after the treatment period, but also to show whether post-test differences were due to the effect of treatment – code-switching – or their differences in pre-tests. The results of the ANCOVAs revealed that teacher’s code-switching was positively effective both on learning problematic grammatical structure (i.e., object relative clauses) and learners’ attitudes toward the teacher’s code-switching. The results of the present study could help language teachers, teacher trainers, and policy makers to provide a better context for foreign language learning and improving different language skills.
Code-Switching
Grammatical Structure
Object Relative Clauses
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532364_bfb3356634047f48d8a3234b170cbc8f.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The Comparative Study of the Iranian EFL Learners Vocabulary Learning through Two Different Formats: Paper & Pencil vs. Software113131532365ENSeyyedeh Setareh MousaviDepartment of Studies in Teaching, Islamic Azad University, University of Larestan, Iran.Azadeh NematiPh.D., Department of English Language Teaching, Jahrom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jahrom, Iran.Journal Article20160925This study aimed to investigate the effect of using vocabulary software on the vocabulary learning of Iranian EFL learners. Participants of the study were 54 intermediate-level students (23 males and 31 females) learning English as a foreign language in Mehr Institute in Izeh who were selected after taking the <em>Nelson English Language Test</em> as a proficiency test. They were randomly divided into two groups. Both groups participated in the teacher-made test of vocabulary as pre-test. During class sessions the control group was taught the vocabulary, in the conventional way, through the printed textbook while the experimental group was instructed by the software version of the same book. One independent samples t-test and two paired sample t-tests were run to investigate the research hypotheses of the study. The results of the statistical analyses revealed that although both methods had positive effects on the vocabulary learning of the participants, using vocabulary learning software was more effective than using printed book. The results of the present study could prove useful for EFL course book designers, educational planners, material developers, teachers, and learners to provide a better context for EFL learning.
computer-assisted instruction
computer-assisted language learning
computer-assisted language teaching
vocabulary learning software
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532365_3357a3c67ff7ff1ba292581c134bd3aa.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The Impact of Rote Learning on Vocabulary Learning: The Case of Iranian EFL Learners with Visual and Auditory Learning Styles133149532366ENGhasem TayebiDepartment of English Language,
Kazeroon Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Kazeroon, Iransara marefatDepartment of English Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, IranJournal Article20170625This study aimed to explore the effect of rote learning (word list learning) on boosting visual and auditory learners' vocabulary retention. To this end, the Oxford Placement Test (2007) was administered, in order to identify the learners' proficiency level. Then 31 subjects who were studying at the Iran Language Institute (ILI) in Bushehr, Iran, and belonged to available sampling were singled out. To distinguish the learners' preference for learning styles in gaining vocabularies, Barsch Learning Style Inventory (1991) providing a focus on visual, auditory, and tactual learning style preferences was employed. Afterwards, the researcher-made pre-test was carried out. Then, during the 8 treatment sessions, some new vocabulary items were instructed through word list learning. At the end of the treatment, the researcher-post-test was conducted. Next, after two weeks, the delayed posttest was carried out to differentiate the degree of retention among the visual and auditory participants. In the end, to analyze the data, Independent samples <em>t</em>-test was conducted. The findings cast light on the fact that the large number of the learners favored visual learning style. Furthermore, the visual learners outperformed the auditory learners in recalling the new words while exposed to the rote learning.
Auditory learning style
Rote learning (Word list learning)
Visual learning style
vocabulary learning
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532366_5ee26557825d6c02b2d78d8496a440ef.pdfIslamic Azad University-Shiraz BranchJournal of Studies in Learning and Teaching English2251-85416120170501The Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Expressions of Gratitude among Iranian Upper-Intermediate EFL Learners151174532367ENOranoos RezaeiDepartment of Foreign Languages M.A in TEFL Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch Shiraz, IranMohammad BavaliDepartment of Foreign Languages Assistant professor Islamic Azad University, Shiraz Branch Shiraz, IranJournal Article20170225This study investigated the relationship between cultural intelligence and the use of expressions of gratitude among Iranian upper intermediate EFL learners. 50 upper intermediate learners were selected through purposive sampling, with their proficiency level being controlled. A discourse completion test (DCT) for the expressions of gratitude and a cultural intelligence scale were given to the participants of the study. Learners' DCT responses and cultural intelligence were rated on a five-point Likert scale and then analyzed. Statistical test including Pearson Correlation was used to test the hypothesis. The results of the analysis revealed that there was no significant relationship between cultural intelligence and the use of expressions of gratitude. Based on the results, it can be concluded that cultural intelligence, in general, and its level, in particular, may not have any influence on Iranian upper intermediate EFL Learners' use of expressions of gratitude, implying that at least in the case of acquiring expressions of gratitude, there seems to be no reason to capitalize much on learners' cultural intelligence.
Cultural intelligence
Expressions of Gratitude
EFL learners
http://jslte.iaushiraz.ac.ir/article_532367_cebe71c269a872f9a5e59ac3de90597b.pdf